So, today I wanted to mess around with these Gottman card decks everyone’s talking about. You know, the ones that are supposed to help you connect better with your partner? Yeah, those. I’ve heard good things, and honestly, my relationship could use a little spark, so I figured, why not give it a shot?
First things first, I needed to find these decks. A quick search told me there’s an app for it, but that wasn’t what I was looking for. I wanted something I could hold, something tangible. Plus, I was looking for a free option. Another search for “Gottman card decks PDF” led me to believe a printable version was the way to go.
I dug around the web but couldn’t find any official PDFs. It felt like looking for a needle in a haystack. I found a couple of sites that mentioned them, but there were no actual downloadable files. It was a bit frustrating, to say the least.
Then, I thought, maybe I can create my own. I remembered reading something about the different decks and the types of questions they have. There’s one called “Love Map,” another called “Open-Ended Questions,” and a few more. I figured I could just find examples of these questions online and make my own deck.
So I started searching for “Gottman Love Map questions,” “Gottman Open-Ended Questions,” and so on. I found a bunch of articles and blog posts that listed some of the questions. I copied them into a document, did some basic formatting, and voila! I had a decent set of questions to work with.
I printed them out, cut them into individual cards, and even found some nice cardstock to make them feel a bit more legit. It was a bit of work, but it was also kind of fun. It felt good to create something with my own hands. We sat down, and started going through the questions. Some were easy, some were a bit tougher, but overall, it was a good experience. We laughed, we talked, and we even learned a few new things about each other.
Here’s a glimpse of what I did:
- Searched for the Gottman card decks: First, I had to find out what this whole thing was about.
- Looked for a free, printable option: I wanted a PDF version that wouldn’t cost me anything.
- Couldn’t find an official PDF: It seems like there isn’t one readily available online.
- Decided to create my own deck: I figured I could just make my own based on the types of questions.
- Gathered questions from various sources: I searched for examples of each deck’s questions online.
- Formatted and printed the questions: I put them into a document and printed them out on cardstock.
- Used the cards with my partner: We went through the questions together, and it was a pretty positive experience.
It wasn’t exactly what I had in mind initially, but it turned out pretty well. It’s not the same as having the official decks, but it’s a good start. And honestly, it’s the conversation that matters, not the fancy cards. We’ve decided to make this a regular thing, maybe once a week or so. It’s a simple way to stay connected and keep the spark alive. If you’re looking for a way to improve your relationship, maybe give this a try. It’s free, it’s easy, and it might just make a difference.
